Months after controversial incidents involving a protester and two officers, STLCC has not forgotten the issue
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Managing Editor
It’s been a calmer Meramec campus in nearly five months after an April incident in the Student Center Quad left students and faculty upset with anti-semitic rhetoric and led to an investigation into the conduct of two Meramec police officers.
Previously, Dr. DeAndre Braddix said that the college would not publicly disclose the results of said investigation. Instead, William Raack, speaking on behalf of the college, said that the investigation into the officers is now complete. He also gave The Montage the following statement:
“Unfortunately, because our investigation into the incident involves our personnel, we will not be able to share the results,” Raack said. “However, we can say that STLCC has taken several steps to address what prompted the incident: the presence of an individual expressing ideas with signs and shouting.”
He continued, “First and foremost, we have updated our Freedom of Expression guidelines. We have also created a public-facing web page to share the Campus Free Expression guidelines with the internal and external community. We have hosted a two-hour tabletop exercise for College leaders to learn more about campus free expression, including what constitutes unprotected speech. We are moving forward with launching our Free Expression Action Team (FEAT). When expressive activity is observed on campus, Action Team members will respond.
Elaborating further on FEAT, Raack continued, “Their role is to educate, support and refer. FEAT volunteers will participate in a training session to learn relevant policies, procedures and laws, and become empowered with skills and tools to support students and each other.”
“Lastly,” he concluded, “STLCC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Office is working with Campus Police to provide comprehensive training to our officers on implicit bias. This training is being designed to meet [the] Peace Officer Standards and Training Program (POST), which is a regulatory program that approves law enforcement training curricula.”
Those looking to join FEAT can contact Keith Robinder, PhD, vice president for student support programs, or Shannon Nicholson, director for community standards & Title IX coordinator. While visiting the Campus Expo in late August, Nicholson said that both students and faculty can volunteer for FEAT.
“We are training folks first to respond,” said Nicholson, “And [we] are welcoming students to be trained.”
The protester, who livestreams under the YouTube account Kingdom Reconcilers, has not reappeared on the Meramec campus since his April 15 visit. Instead, he appears to be traveling in other states, including protesting at the US Olympic Headquarters in Colorado and various locations in Illinois. He also has recently filmed himself “preaching” outside the Deja Vu Strip Club in Springfield as well as the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July.
